


New Leaves (2009)

by JennyB



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Attraction, Community: 30kisses, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-28
Updated: 2009-09-28
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:31:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7106917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanzo has always hated fall, but after a conversation with Hakkai, he's maybe starting to see it in a different light...</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Leaves (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the LJ community 30kisses, prompt#25 - 'fence'

Genjyo Sanzo hated fall.

He hated the chill in the air that hinted at the impending winter.

He hated the shorter days and seemingly endless nights.

But most of all, he hated the leaves.

As the first blazing crimson leaves plummeted to earth, he could feel his jaw start to tighten. The rich browns and brilliant yellows only added to his irritation. And by the time the fiery oranges joined their fallen brethren, there would be a definite, semi-permanent pulse at his temple. Even now, as he leaned against the wooden fence at the edge of the hotel property and watched the foliage gather at the base of it, eddying merrily along as if to taunt him, he could feel a low throb in his head. One that matched the phantom aching in his hands as the thought back on the hundreds of thousands of leaves he'd raked as a boy.

He could still see Koumyou Sanzo standing off to the side with a benign smile on his face as he'd smoke his pipe and watch the young acolytes work. _The work builds character, while the time affords one an excellent opportunity for meditation and reflection while surrounded by the splendour of nature._ Sanzo had always wondered about the inherent wisdom in that. Personally, he'd always believed it to be an odious chore - one that had fallen to him simply because Koumyou and the other elders had paid _their_ dues when they had been younger. And it had been one task that he'd been only too happy to pass on to his subordinates at the first opportunity. And so, like the cycle of life, it continued, and some day his successors would make a whole new group of young monks experience the 'Zen' of the task. A hint of a smirk ghosted across his features. He was sure there was some philosophical point in there that he could make - if only he could be arsed to give a damn.

He ground out his heater on the fence post, and then promptly lit up another cigarette after which he folded his arms along the top rail and just stared unseeingly off into the woods. After a while, he became aware of a familiar presence next to him, and he scowled a little. He was about to demand if it was too much for him to ask for a few hours of alone time, but when he turned to the newcomer, both the look and the irritated remark died away. The sun was beginning to set, bringing out deep copper and auburn highlights in the chestnut tresses, and the light seemed to catch the deep green eyes just right, causing them to sparkle like jade.

After a moment, Sanzo shook his head a little to clear his thoughts. He wasn't blind; Hakkai _was_ attractive - though he hated the effect the brunet had on him. And, handsome or not, it didn't mean he wanted company or felt like conversation. That was the kappa who was sucked in by a pretty face. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked nonetheless. "I thought you and the idiot were doing something this afternoon."

Hakkai chuckled softly at that. "I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific, Sanzo. If you're referring to Goku, he and I finished the shopping quite some time ago. If you're talking about Gojyo, we did do a bit of looking around in town, and then parted ways so that he could explore, uh... _other pursuits_. He'll probably be home soon. I think. As for me, I'm just out here admiring the view." He turned to face the blond, a warm smile on his face.

Sanzo was once again left momentarily speechless when he saw the expression. It reminded him so much of the smiles Koumyou used to wear, and for a brief moment, green turned to soft hazel, and he could almost feel the gentle press of lips to his forehead as he was tucked in for the night. The blond both loved seeing it again, and unfairly hated Hakkai for unknowingly daring to mimic it. "It's a two hundred metre fence," Sanzo observed. "With a similar view all along it."

Hakkai simply nodded at that, though the light in his eyes dimmed a little at the implied suggestion that his company was neither wanted nor welcomed. "Ah, I understand. For me, it was the company that made the view that much more enjoyable. I shouldn't have assumed you'd feel the same. I am sorry for disturbing you, then. I'll leave you to it, and I'll send Goku to fetch you when dinner is ready." He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to walk away, lifting the collar of his jacket slightly now that the breeze was at his back.

The priest sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment. Only the healer could make him feel like a complete piece of shit simply by obeying his wishes and quietly accepting his rudeness. "Hakkai, wait." When the brunet stopped rather abruptly, Sanzo suddenly felt awkward. He hadn't expected the suddenness of it all, and he found that he didn't really have anything else to say. "You...don't have to leave. But I don't want to talk, either."

A soft, private smile briefly crossed Hakkai's face, and when he turned around once more, he nodded. "Of course." The brunet leaned against the fence next to his friend, and when a gentle breeze fluttered through his bangs, he closed his eyes for a moment to breathe in the clean, crisp scent of the leaves. "I just love fall," he murmured. "It's probably my favourite season."

Sanzo just snorted. "I thought I said I didn't want to talk."

Hakkai arched a brow and turned to the blond. "Talking implies two-way dialogue. I was just making a comment." He glanced sidelong at his friend and gave him a teasing wink.

"Ch. Smartass," Sanzo growled as he lit up a cigarette. "Fine then. Shut up - unless you think you can improve the silence." As he exhaled, he watched the other resume his previous position to gaze wordlessly out at the forest. By the time Sanzo had finished his cigarette, the quiet was starting to make him edgy, and he could feel a slight twitch beginning in the corner of his left eye. _Damned bastard,_ he thought to himself as he glanced once more at his companion, silently blaming him for his unease. _Everything was fine until **he** showed up._ Suddenly hyperaware of his surroundings - including how much Hakkai's soap smelled like Koumyou's, only slightly more citrusy - he spoke, needing something to shatter the silence and the way his mind was playing with him. "What the hell's so great about fall anyway?"

Hakkai straightened to turn and face his friend, a look of surprise on his face at both the question and the actual spoken words themselves. "I'll tell you," he began quietly. "But before I do, I want to know why you're so insistent on hating it."

Sanzo shrugged a little as he lit another cigarette. "It's cold, dirty, grey, dark - hell, even the _animals_ have enough sense to go away when it comes. And there are all the damned leaves - they get tracked everywhere, they make a mess, require endless raking..." He gave another shrug, signifying he was through talking about it, and he took a long drag off his stick, violet eyes shifting expectantly to the brunet.

Hakkai smiled softly at that, and turning to stand with his back against the fence, he put his hands beside him and lithely hoisted himself up to sit lightly on the top rail. "I suppose there are a lot of reasons why I like it," he began, and chuckling, he said, "You might find them familiar. It's cold, grey, dark - and of course, there are the leaves."

"Are you _trying_ to piss me off?" the blond asked through narrowed eyes.

Hakkai's expression sobered, and he sighed softly. "No, Sanzo. I might tease you from time to time, but I wouldn't deliberately make fun of you when you're having a serious, honest conversation with me." A small smile briefly ghosted across his features, and he ran a hand lightly through his long fringe of bangs. "I like fall for the same reasons you seem to hate it. I'd imagine the context has a lot to do with it, but if you'd like, I'll explain why?"

The hand that held Sanzo's cigarette made a _get on with it_ gesture, and the priest waited. He was, admittedly, curious about the answer.

"Alright then. You mentioned the cold. This is the time of year when people break out their sweaters. For our group, they're the hand-knit ones I've made for us, so seeing you wear them, it's almost like a part of me is with you, wrapping around you, protecting you from the chill, keeping you warm and safe."

"Are you suggesting you want to _hug_ us, Hakkai?"

The brunet pinked a bit at that, and offered a small chuckle. "Not in so many words, no, but I guess that's an appropriate analogy." He smiled softly, not quite meeting the other's eyes.

Sanzo was very observant, and didn't miss the hidden message. There were rare occasions when he saw Goku hug the healer, but Hakkai, like the rest of them, was sparing with his outward affections. A figurative embrace was, honestly, more his speed. "Hn. And the grey?"

"It provides the perfect background for all of the wonderful produce that becomes available at this time of year. All the lovely, colourful squashes and root vegetables. It's when I start preparing things to last over the winter. And all of the soups and stews I can make. The early nights lend themselves perfectly to a bonfire, and I can still remember all of the evenings we've passed, either out on the road, or in one of the uh..." He chuckled a bit. "The more _rustic_ inns we stay at, sitting with my best friends and drinking tea or hot sake and talking to them." His expression softened a little, and he turned away from Sanzo to gaze back across the field toward the hotel. "As for the leaves, there's the satisfying crunch underfoot when walking, but more than that, I suppose they simply tie everything together. When I see them starting to turn, the vibrant colours remind me of the three of you. The red for Gojyo, the brown and orange for Goku, and the yellow for you. And when I see someone raking leaves, I look at how the colours combine, and it reminds me of us, and of how our lives have come together. It makes me think of the time I'm going to be spending in the coming months taking care of the people who matter to me most, and it gives me pause to reflect. After all, it was in the fall when I first met Gojyo, and a little later in the season when I met you and Goku. Despite everything else, how could I possibly hate that?"

As Sanzo listened to the brunet speak, he could feel something stirring inside of him. He wasn't entirely comfortable with it, but it wasn't unpleasant, either. "Hn. I had no idea you could be such an optimist, Hakkai. When the hell did you turn so sentimental, anyway?"

The demon chuckled. "Optimist? You really think so?" He laughed a little harder, though he did notice the warmth in Sanzo's voice, and he knew that the priest wasn't making fun of him. If anything, he'd bet all he had that Sanzo had been both surprised and touched by the reply. Suddenly, he smirked and leaned a little toward the priest, teasingly fluttering his eyelashes as he purred, "As for my sentimentality, it must be a by-product of the time I've spent in the company of one as virtuous and compassionate as you, Sanzo-houshi-sama."

The blond snorted in amusement. "Idiot," he remarked as he gave the brunet a shove, a hint of a smile at his lips when he watched Hakkai's youkai reflexes kick in, enabling him to catch his balance as he landed on his feet beside him. "You're just as bad as those other two fools. You know that, ne?"

Hakkai smiled again. "Thank you very much. But I'd say I'm the worst of the bunch. I don't know how you can tolerate me on a daily basis."

"I don't know either," Sanzo drawled. "One day, I'm going to put a bullet in the three of you and be done with it," he added with a smirk to show he was teasing. At least with Hakkai, anyway.

"Mm, well, it's a good thing it's not today. I made a pumpkin pudding for dessert that should be just about finished, and for tonight, I've made a nice beef stew. It should be ready in about half an hour. Shall I send Goku for you when it's time, or will you be back?"

The blond pondered that for a moment as he shook a cigarette out of his pack and put it between his lips. "Keep the monkey with you. I'll be there once I'm finished this." He watched Hakkai nod and turn to head back to the room, and after a few moments, Sanzo turned back to the woods and lit his smoke. As he glanced down, he stared for a long time at a pile of leaves by his boot, and he thought back on what the healer had said. He shifted his foot, and as he heard the crisp crackling, he let a rare smile grace his features.

Maybe Genjyo Sanzo didn't _completely_ hate fall after all.


End file.
